Oba Femi Discusses Having Respect For WWE NXT Star Following Hard-Hitting Matches

One of the top stories on "NXT" in 2024 was Tony D'Angelo's quest to become a singles champion in WWE. In his way stood the formidable Oba Femi, who was in the midst of the longest NXT North American Championship reign in history. Femi made an appearance on "The Takedown on SI" to talk about his rivalry with D'Angelo and the respect they gained for each other afterward.

"We definitely hurt one another, three hard-hitting matches, pushing each other to the limit," Femi said. "Tony knows that we have mutual respect for one another now, he knows that. And he knows why we have that respect, because as hard as he and his family hit, I hit that much harder. ... Tony can talk all the trash he wants. Tony knows he was rocked. I had him on the back foot the entire feud." 

D'Angelo was eventually successful in his quest to capture gold from Femi. When asked if Femi has any lingering feelings, he said that it's all in the past.

"I think I'm done and dusted with Tony until our paths cross again," he explained. "It still hurts me that he took that title from me, but yeah, it's something that right now, I'm the Iron Survivor, it's behind me."

Oba Femi recently won the Iron Survivor Challenge at "NXT" Deadline. After winning the match, he earned a shot at the brand's top men's singles title, while a call-up to the main roster in 2025 seems very possible. 

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the "The Takedown on SI" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for transcription.